Cold Roast Lamb with Marinated Eggplant

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Pulse garlic, rosemary, cumin seeds, and 2 Tbsp. kosher salt in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour in 1/4 cup oil and pulse again until a paste forms. Place lamb on a rimmed baking sheet and rub paste all over, pushing some inside layers of meat. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.

   Step 2

   Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 300°F. Slice eggplants in half lengthwise, then slice each half lengthwise into thirds. Working in batches and using 1/2 cup oil total, place a few eggplant spears in a large bowl and drizzle with some oil. Toss, gently massaging each piece to coat; season with kosher salt and pepper. (Because eggplants are very porous when raw, working with a few pieces at a time makes it easier to control where the oil ends up.) Transfer to another rimmed baking sheet.

   Step 3

   Toss shallots and 1/4 cup oil in the bowl you just used for the eggplants, then spoon over eggplants. Cover baking sheet with foil, sealing tightly.

   Step 4

   Place baking sheet with eggplant mixture on bottom rack of oven and baking sheet with lamb on top rack. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of lamb (avoiding gaps) registers 140°F for medium, about 90 minutes (start checking after 1 hour). Remove lamb from oven and tent with foil. Let cool about 20 minutes.

   Step 5

   Meanwhile, remove eggplant mixture from oven, uncover, and toss with a spatula. Increase oven temperature to 500°F and immediately place eggplant mixture on top rack. Roast, tossing halfway through, until nicely browned and very tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

   Step 6

   Remove foil from lamb and roast on top rack until brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Let cool.

   Step 7

   Once eggplant mixture is cool, toss in a large bowl with Master Vegetable Marinade, cover, and let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour.

   Step 8

   Just before serving, toss parsley into eggplant mixture and transfer to a platter. Slice lamb 1/4" thick; arrange on another platter. Drizzle lamb generously with oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with Lemony Yogurt Sauce and/or Grilled Serrano Salsa Verde alongside.

2. Do Ahead

   Step 9

   Lamb can be seasoned 12 hours ahead; cover and chill. Let sit at room temperature 45 minutes before roasting. Lamb can be roasted and eggplant mixture can be marinated 1 day ahead; cover and chill separately. About 1 hour before serving, remove lamb and eggplant mixture from the fridge and let sit at room temperature to warm up a bit.